Apparatus for separating fine coal and the waste materials thereof.



v "G. B. DAMON. APPARATUS FOR SEPAEATING FINE coAL AND THE WASTE MATERIALS THEREOF.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1908.

1,072,833, Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO WASHINGTON, n. c.

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causes snnnnaaiarnanoiv, or enemies, rannsnvii via, ASSIGNGR, BY iviEsnE' ASSIGNMENTS; 'ro LEHIGH GOAL 6; NAVIGATION co.

Arena-Arcs roa ssraaarmc FINE coat AND THE wasrn MATERIALS THEREOF.

. T all whom; it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. DAMON, of Glenside, in the county-of Montgomery, and in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Separating Fine Coal and the Waste Materials Thereof, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof.

The object of my invention has been to provide an apparatus for reducing the percentage of incombustible material in fine anthracite and bituminous coal, and anthracite and bituminous waste materials, assorting their particles as to size, and separating the dust therefrom, and especially for re ducing the percentage of inco nbustible material in culm, and more particularly such an apparatus which shall be capable of op erating upon the materials in a dry. condition; and to such ends my invention consists in the apparatus of separating fine anthracite and bituminous coal, and anthracite and bituminous waste materials, hereinafter specified. I 7

By fine anthracite coal, I mean coal of a sizenot substantially larger than buckwheat, and by fine bituminous coal, I mean coal of a size not larger than buckwheat in anthracite coal.

In theaccompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of one embodiment of my invention, and Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional View taken onthe line 2-2, Fig. 1. Y a a In the production of anthracite coal, the coal is mined in aslarge lumps as possible, and isthen passed through a breaker to break it up into smaller sizes. This results in the production of a considerable percentage of coal that is too small for satisfactory sale because of the competition of bituminous coal. By my apparatus, the particles of this coal (crushed down to a suitable size, if necessary) can be assorted as to size; its dust can be removed, and the percenta e of incombustible material can be reduce if necessary, so that the useful material will be put into form suitable forbriqueting. The mining of anthracite coal also results in the production of a large amount of material containing dust and coal too small for sat isfactory combustion by the ordinary processes. This material, is known. as culm. Culm is too high in incombustible material Sflcification of Letters Patent; App'iicat'idn filed August s, 1908. Seriai No. 447,630.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

for satisfactory combustion by the ordinary apparatus. It is also too fine to burn satisfactorily on a grate. I desire by my appa ratus to separate incoinbustible material of the culm so that the portions thereof which are suitable may be made into briquets, which shall burn substantially as well as the domestic sizes of coal.

In order to produce satisfactory briquets from culm, it is not only necessary that the percentage of incombustible material should be reduced, but that the particles below a certain size should be removed, because the amount of pitch necessary to bind the particles into a briquet is proportionately larger for small particles than for large particles, as the amount of pitch necessary to coat a small particle is proportionately larger than that to coat a large particle. Pitch is eX- pensive, and it is therefore not economical to make briquets of particles that are too fine. Therefore, another object of my invention has been to provide an apparatus to remove the dust which is too fine for use in briquets.

It is also desirable that the particles of a briquet shall be of substantially uniform size, because this is necessaryto secure satisfactory combustion of the briquet under ordinary circumstances. The lar er particles will burn more slowly than tie smaller particles, if the particles be of different sizes. Therefore, the combustion will progress from the outer surface of the briquet toward the center in an uneven manner, and this uneven combustion will ordinarily result in smoke. If the particles are of substantially uniform size, the combustion will progress evenly, and there will be a minimum of smoke. Therefore, an object of my invention has been to provide an apparatus to so assort the particles that the briquets may be made of particles of substantially uniform size.

In the production of bituminous coal, there is much material that is so small that it cannot be satisfactorily gasified when burned on a grate, and thereis wast-e material which is undesirably high in ihcombustibles. There is also much bituminous coal with an undesirably high percentage of sulfur and pyrites, especially when used for metallurgical purposes. By means of my apparatus the fine material can be prepared for briqueting, and the percentage of incombust-ibles and of sulfur and pyrites can be reduced. The percentage of sulfur and pyrites in bituminous coal of any size can be reduced by crushing it down, if necessary, and passing it through my apparatus.

While my apparatus is capable of working upon all the before stated materials, I have chosen to illustrate it by its application to culm, because in such application its advantages most completely appear.

My apparatus is capable of embodiment in many different forms, and the apparatus illustrated is to be taken as merely illustrative of one of many forms in which it may be embodied.

It-has heretofore been believed that the dust in culm was largely pure coal. I have discovered that, contrary to previous belief, the finer dust in culm is higher in percentage of incombustible material. This I believe to be due to the fact that in being mined, washed and assorted, the coal is coated by incombust-ible materials coming from the strata confining the vein of coal, and that a small particle will hold a larger percentage of such material on its surface than would a larger particle. I have also discovered that by means of a current of air acting under certain conditions on a stream of falling culm, I can separate this fine comparatively incombustible material from the larger more useful material, and can also assort the lar er material to reat advanta e. M a

b n b u a paratus is based on these dlscoveries.

As before stated no a )aratus can be I I l l embodied 1n many different forms, and i have chosen to illustrate two of such em-' bodiments which I have found advantageous.

That form of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a framework supporting, above, rollers 10 and 11, over which runs a belt 12, upon which the culm is de posited in any desired manner. The upper surface of the belt runs toward the left in Fig. l, or in the direction which I shall term forward. Beneath the roller 10 and in position to catch the falling culm is a hopper 13, said hopper comprising parallel vertical sides and inclined bottoms l4 and 15. The inclined bottom 15 stands a little above the bottom 14 so that the culm may slide down the bottom 14 and beneath the bottom 15. The culm thus falls off of the lower end of the bottom 14 in a uniform stream. The lower end of the bottom 14 extends into a closed chamber having a width approximately equal to that of the bottom 14, the side walls 16 and 17 of the chamber being parallel and the said chamber having a length and height which may conveniently be approximately equal. The chamber is closed by a front wall 18 and a rear wall 19. The bottom of the chamber is closed by three bins 20, 21 and 22 respectively, which bins together occupy the entire bottom. Each bin is closed by a hopper bottom having in it a sliding door 23, and which door has beneath it a belt 24 that is adapted to carry away the material falling through the door. Over the divisional wall between the bins 21 and 22, 1 preferably arrange a movable rider 25. This rider or guard has forwardly and rearwardly inclined upper faces meeting at an apex, and

of its base, (which is in effect shifting the division wall between the bins) so as 'to exactly divide the material which is to go into the respective bins. In the front wall 18 is an opening 26 that is preferably well up toward the level of the lower endof the bottom 14. In the rear wall 19 is an opening 27 whose area is larger than that of the opening 26 in the front wall. I find good results to be obtained by making the rear openings approximately twice the area of the front opening. The height of the rear opening is determined by special conditions, which will be stated later in describing the operation of the apparatus. At the rear of the wall 19 is a partition 28, which, starting at its foot near the partition 19, preferably extends upward and rearward at an inclination to form a hopper-like bottom, the space between the said partition and the said wall being closed by the side walls 16 and 17 and by the roof 16. An opening 30 is formed in the partition 28 approximately opposite the opening 27, and a suction fan 31, or other form of suction apparatus, is connect-- ed with said opening to exhaust air from the space inclosed, and thus to draw air through the opening 27. Any form of suction device can be used. 7

In the separation of culm by means of'the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the culm (which has been dried if necessary) is deposited on the apron and allowed to fall into the hopper. The opening bet-ween the bottom 15 and the bottom 14 is adjustedto' permit a stream to pass, of sufficient quantity to make rapid operation possible, but not of sufficient thickness to prevent advantageous action of the air. The suction apparatus being in operation, a strong current of air enters through the opening 26 and strikesthe falling stream of culm, causing the particles to fall at greater or less distances rearward of the vertical, according to the size, shape and weight of the particles. The bony coal, pyrites and large particles of coal fall into the bin 20. The briqueting. material, which is high in carbon and nottoo fine, falls into the bin 21, and the dust and material which is too fine for briqueting and which contains incombustible material in the shape of powder falls into the bin 22.

' The various factors influencingthe opera-: 130

. it can be shifted over a divis1on wall between the bins, forward or back, within the limits tion of my apparatus may be stated as follows :The suction causes the air to pass in substantially straight lines from the opening 26 to the opening27, and an accurate separation of the material, according to the size, shape and specific gravity, is effected. I have found that if'a blast be forced through the opening 26 instead of a suction drawn through the opening 27,. great con-fusion will occur within the chamber, and efficient separation will not take place. Fhe velocity of the air is adjusted to the size of the coal being treated; the larger the coal, the higher the velocity. If the velocity of the air is too low, it does not sufficiently spread the material. The, velocity should also be regulated according, to the temperature to obtain the best results. If the culm has incombustible material in comparatively large pieces, the front rider is moved somewhat to the rear. If the incombustible material,

in the shape of impalpable powder, is present to an unusual degree, the rear rider is moved forward. If a high velocity of the air is required, both riders will be moved rearward, and vice versa. I find it advantageous to place the opening 26 well up toa ward the level of the bottom 14, because the air in this position strikes the material before it has acquired much velocity, and therefore the material is subjected to the action of the stream of air for a longer time than it would be if the opening were lower down. This is of importance, because I find that if the front opening be made too large, a good separation of the coal and ash is not efl ected. I find the best results to be obtained by making the rear opening larger than the front opening. I also find it is advantageous to locate the rear opening higher or lower according to particular conditions. A certain amount of the incombustible dust can be carried through the rear opening into the chamber in the rear. If the opening be too high, the dust does not pass through it as well as if it be lower. I have also found that if the coal be flaky, it is more easily carried by the air, and it isthen an advantage to have the rear opening high,

Whereas if the coal be granular, it is with much more difficulty carried by the air, and it is more advantageous to have the rear opening low. A door into the rear chamber of any convenient sort is provided, so that the dust may be removed therefrom.

WVhile I have indicated the conditions to obtain the best results, a fair result can be obtained, notwithstanding many of such conditions are not observed. It will thus be seen that the agents controlling the various conditions are the cross sections and locations of the front and rear openings relative to the falling stream of cuhn to each other and to the bins, the velocity of the air and the location of the riders.

It is obvious that various changes can be made in the above-illustrated constructions which will be within the scope of my invention, and I desire not to be limited beyond the requirements of the prior art and the necessary intendment of my claim. For instance, in the construction of Figs. 1 and 2, the suction fan can be directly connected with the opening 27, and the partition 28 omitted.

I claim:

An apparatus for separating fine coal and the waste materials thereof, including the combination of a closed chamber having substantially parallel side walls, said cham ber being longer than its width, means for causing the materials to fall in a substantially uniform stream near one of the end walls of such chamber, said wall having an opening therein near the top of said stream, the oppositeend wall having a larger opening at a lower level, means for exhausting air through said last mentioned opening, and bins forming the bottom of said chamber, said bins being separated by walls transverse to the length of said chamber.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE BERNHARDT DAMON.

Witnesses:

T. L. Honor R0131. V. PIERCE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

